My Journey Back Home to the Philippines as a UAlbany Alumna

It has been close to six months since I have returned home to the Philippines. Everything is familiar and strange at the same time. While I am over the moon that I am back in my tropical country, a part of me misses the subzero temperatures in Albany in winter, and its quietness. I miss the quiet. Manila can be a lot on the ears. 

Since graduating with my Master of Public Administration (MPA), I went back to work at the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms in the House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress. We are chiefly responsible on all matters relating to the protection and advancement of the right of suffrage and the conduct of elections, plebiscites, initiatives, recalls, and referenda. I write the substitute bills that get taken up at the plenary, and ultimately become electoral laws here in the Philippines. 

After 23 years in the Philippine House of Representatives, I have witnessed firsthand the complexities and challenges of governance and public policy in a country where votes are bought as a matter of course. Rockefeller’s MPA program offered a unique opportunity to deepen my understanding of public administration theories and practices while enhancing my leadership skills. Its emphasis on practical application and its focus on innovative solutions to contemporary issues resonate with my goal of driving effective policy reforms in my country. This degree equipped me with the tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to the development of efficient and responsive governance in the Philippines.

In addition to being a Fulbright Awardee, I also received the Women and Public Policy Fellowship from the SUNY Center for Women in Government and Civil Society during my final spring term. I was placed at the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (NYS-OPDV), the only executive level agency in the United States mandated to eradicate violence stemming from intimate relationships. It is my dream for an agency such as the NYS-OPDV to be institutionalized here in the Philippines. 

The decision to pursue my MPA from UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy was fueled by its alignment with my extensive experience in the Philippine Congress. All this was made possible by a Fulbright grant administered by the Institute of International Education. I look forward to continuing to apply what I learned during my time at UAlbany towards my desire to affect social change in the Philippines.